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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cap — of ice
  6. present — there
  7. foot — a measure
  8. present — the time now
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. race — humankind
  16. present — a gift
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cap — a hat
  20. race — a contest
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com